In my life as a Busker I have seen a pattern of tragic mistakes, that I have made, and then noticed other beginners doing same things later on, so I thought I would try and save some of us all some grief, and shine a little light on these four things.
The 4th point about not copying others reminds me of a lady I know who s a hairdresser. She laughed as she told me about all of the women who brought her pictures of Jennifer Aniston that they'd cut from magazines.
"Make me look like Jen!" they'd all say. She told me that that's when she would wish SHE was a magician. "YOUR job is EASIER than trying to please them!" she told me. "That's impossible - having their hair cut can't make them look like Jen."
So, be yourself or develop a character, don't copy an act. The audience will undoubtedly have seen the act you're trying to do and call you out on it. If you are being yourself, it's YOU that is earning all that applause!! Have fun out there!
Too bad I ripped-off the Great Blackstone as far as my stage name. But I was ten and it was fifty years ago. After I realized how bad what I had done actually was, I had so much in printed materials and reputation, using that name, I just went with it, as bad as that is. ;-)
I went with Blackwell because I knew that I couldn't steal the great man's name but I didn't realize how ridiculous it looked for a ten-year-old to call himself "The Great" anything!
That may be true, but I have always been a fan of the ridiculous lol, I don't think you did anything wrong, even at that age you knew to change the name.
I think asking people if they want to see a trick is caused by misguided politeness. We're taught that we should ask for permission before doing something from an early age. I remeber Jay Sankey said something similar in one of his video. That you shouldn't ask someone if they like magic because they're not qualified to answer the question. Don't ask for permission, just show them a trick.
The 4th point about not copying others reminds me of a lady I know who s a hairdresser. She laughed as she told me about all of the women who brought her pictures of Jennifer Aniston that they'd cut from magazines.
"Make me look like Jen!" they'd all say. She told me that that's when she would wish SHE was a magician. "YOUR job is EASIER than trying to please them!" she told me. "That's impossible - having their hair cut can't make them look like Jen."
So, be yourself or develop a character, don't copy an act. The audience will undoubtedly have seen the act you're trying to do and call you out on it. If you are being yourself, it's YOU that is earning all that applause!! Have fun out there!
Blackwell these are all great points.
Thank you so much for breaking it down even more.
Too bad I ripped-off the Great Blackstone as far as my stage name. But I was ten and it was fifty years ago. After I realized how bad what I had done actually was, I had so much in printed materials and reputation, using that name, I just went with it, as bad as that is. ;-)
Did you use the name Blackstone when you were ten, or Blackwell?
I went with Blackwell because I knew that I couldn't steal the great man's name but I didn't realize how ridiculous it looked for a ten-year-old to call himself "The Great" anything!
That may be true, but I have always been a fan of the ridiculous lol, I don't think you did anything wrong, even at that age you knew to change the name.
Great advice, Jimmy.
I think asking people if they want to see a trick is caused by misguided politeness. We're taught that we should ask for permission before doing something from an early age. I remeber Jay Sankey said something similar in one of his video. That you shouldn't ask someone if they like magic because they're not qualified to answer the question. Don't ask for permission, just show them a trick.
Thanks, I learned this from experience, but after hearing the logic to it, it really makes sense. And also Jay is so right on that lol.
Excellent words!
Thank you.
“The answer is always NO”!!
So true ! Hearing it so bluntly makes me
Laugh!!
Yeah it came to me when I was a beginner lol